Among most of the Children of Caine, there are eight relatively common Disciplines: the powers of Animalism (the ability to communicate with and master beasts), Auspex (heightened sensitivity and supernatural awareness), Celerity (incredible bursts of speed gifted by blood), Dominate (the ability to command another’s mind), Fortitude (supernatural resilience, against even fire and sunlight), Obfuscate (clouding of minds, granting disguise and stealth), Potence (vampiric strength) and Presence (preternatural charisma). The existence of these Disciplines

is at least known to all but the rankest fledglings. Certain clans and bloodlines, though, possess their own special Disciplines, including Chimerstry (the ability to conjure illusions and dreaming images), Dementation (influence over passion and madness), Necromancy (control and commerce with the world of the dead and the ghosts therein), Obtenebration (the capacity to unleash spiritual darkness), Protean (the power to shift shape and assume animalistic features), Quietus (a Discipline of bloody assassination), Serpentis (a reptilian and manipulative Discipline from Egyptian lore), Thaumaturgy (the rigorous study of blood magic) and Vicissitude (molding and crafting of blood, flesh and bone). The extraordinarily rare bloodlines also practice Melpominee (manipulation of music and voice), Obeah (a power of physical and spiritual healing) and Thanatosis (control over the processes of physical death and decay). Some other Disciplines are thought to exist as well, though they and their practitioners are certainly so rare as to be nearly nonexistent.

Most of the Disciplines require the use of blood or some other expenditure of effort. The gifts of Caine do not come lightly or easily, after all. Still, they are invaluable tools for hunting and survival, even in the modern age. Times being what they are, modern vampires must be very careful of the Masquerade with their powers; a mortal tourist with a camera can prove the greatest threat to vampiric secrecy. 

Unless otherwise noted, a Discipline is only useful against one target at a time, and the subject must be sensed directly by the vampire — seen, heard or otherwise noticed. Sensory-enhancing powers may allow effects to target subjects at a distance outside the range of normal sight, but technological assistance is not sufficient — the subject must be noted with the vampire’s own senses and powers. For example, you cannot use a camera or binoculars to locate a victim, but you can use Auspex. 

Descriptions of the Disciplines usually refer solely to vampires or Cainites using the powers. Unless specifically noted otherwise, these descriptions include ghouls, revenants and other characters who use the appropriate power.Some Disciplines require a physical touch or grip to affect a subject. Acquiring this grip requires a Physical Challenge, though an unsuspecting victim may be lured in with a handshake. A subject who voluntarily meets your grip relents, and he is automatically affected; otherwise, you must make the challenge as normal, even

if striking from surprise or if you actually touch the other player (which violates the No Touching rule in any case). Touch-activated Disciplines can sometimes be used in conjunction with an unarmed strike, in which case the strike does normal damage and the Discipline takes effect as well if the blow connects.

 

Learning Disciplines

All vampires can naturally learn their clan Disciplines with nothing more than the expenditure of Experience Traits. As with any other learned capability, the new powers become available at the next game session. The cardinal eight Disciplines that are shared by every clan — Animalism, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence and Presence — require only a willing teacher who is one level above what the student wishes to learn. What payment the teacher requires is best left for the characters to haggle out between themselves. Out of game, the Storyteller may require that the vampire indicate who is teaching him his Discipline Certain Disciplines are proprietary to their clans — created by them and often practiced solely by them. Some clans have even hunted those outside the clan’s bounds who knew of their secrets. Teachers of these wondrous powers are, consequently, few and far between. Those fortunate enough to acquire a teacher, however, are not done yet — in order to study the Discipline, they must drink a Trait of blood from a vampire capable of learning the Discipline (which need not necessarily be the teacher). Cainite scholars believe that this is necessary in order to “attune” the blood to learning something that is quite alien. The drink is only necessary once, and the student may learn as long as the teacher wishes to retain her. Those Disciplines that require this are Chimerstry, Dementation, Melpominee, Necromancy, Obeah, Obtenebration, Protean, Quietus, Serpentis, Thanatosis, Thaumaturgy

and Vicissitude. While the Book of Nod claims that Caine knew every Discipline, this would seem to be impossible in light of the fact that the Tremere with their Thaumaturgy, the Daughters of Cacophony with their Melpominee, or the Samedi and Thanatosis (to name a few) did not exist when Caine was flourishing in Nod.